Tribes and Empires: Storm of Prophecy 九州海上牧云记 - Episode 6 (Recap)

Panda: “The most beautiful woman in Great Duan” No Words.
kakashi: Now we know the sad secret :( I actually really like the Emperor at this stage (yes, I know he's an idiot, but I can't help it!), but I don't see a happy future ahead of him, ha.
SakiVI: she's cute, sure, but I don't find her the prettiest on this show.
JoAnne: I felt terrible for them both and I did think she was the prettiest.

Episode 6

A brief scene with the 3 conspirators- Prince HeGe, Nanku De and Mr Mo. Mr Mo believes in Chaos and not peace. He states that since Muyun Sheng and Han Jiang have met, tragedy cannot be averted and I guess he wants to help speed it up. He asks to be set up meet the Emperor.
Novoland likes weird sects. Mr. Mo is weird. I'm sure his sect is too. 
He amuses me.  I calmly accept this Mr. Mo.
Yes, I find him very interesting.

Sheng and Han Jiang go back to Yong Yin Hall had meet the same attendant- Lin Xiu Man. She looks resigned and very sad as she warns him not to venture into the hall but Sheng’s mind is made up. He opens and enters a silent passage- only sounds coming from various boiling and whistling kettles.
That sound was cool. Otherwise, the sound for this drama is actually very weird if not bad. A lot of background noise (the downside of so many location shoots!), sometimes soft, sometimes extremely loud. But! Wasn't it cute Shen took Han Jiang with him? I awwwwed.
 They are love, these boys.

Finally he reaches the end of the passage and draws the curtain and sees his mom - very horribly disfigured. He practically faints in response.
Me too. Well, I expected something horrible because of the build-up, but this is cruel! Poor boy.
I had thought she was dead.
Sheesh, might as well be.  This might be worse.

The Queen learns of Sheng’s visit and comes to taunt the helpless Yin Rong who is being kept alive against her will at her order. Wow, what an evil witch. She says that “although they both lost, she likes to visit her”. Shudders. On a passing note, she references that since the Maid is still alive, that means she has still kept the secret. The maid has ingested the “Heart wrencher pill” which will kill her if she discloses it.
Novoland also likes weird poisons. I remember that Corroding Boner thing well. Sidenote: The lighting in this scene - to die for!
I felt kind of nauseated during all this.
This woman is incredibly cruel. Nothing she has experienced justifies this behavior.

Su Yu Ning goes looking for Han Jiang to thank him for saving her life but he denies it but gives a cute smile when he leaves her. Luckily for her, he still hangs around her as shortly after, he saves her from being choked to death by 3 other ladies. This is some crazy bullying, but I can totally believe it.  She looks hurt when she realizes Nanku Yu Li is also part of them and I just want to shake her.
Han Jiang is just so cool, wow. I loved how one of those evil witches whispers "He is a Muru, he is not to be offended" to that Nanku wench.
Su Yu is an idiot.  She should swagger about, gather her own crowd of minions, and face off against Nanku Yu Li.  All these girls and their families know being in the palace in some position of power is still amazing for them, even if they're not each an empress.  And, the empress officially chooses the concubines, so they'd be best off being in with Su Yu. 
Sigh.  Even in fantasy worlds, we have to have mean girls?

We briefly leave Tian Qi for Hai An City, Wan prefecture where the Emperor’s elder brother- Arch Prince Muyun Luan resides. On surface he appears genial as he prepares gifts- special armors that took 3 years to be made, for his younger brother but his man references a letter to Mr Mo and that means shady things are afoot.
Uhhhhhhhh, instant hate. Arch Prince? Arch Enemy more like. It's pretty clear he wants to be more than that.
Slimy. 
His face is untrustworthy.

His Queen - a Muru (so pretty!) asks quite insistently why there are increased military drills in the city. He reassures her jokingly that it’s just practice and that he couldn’t possibly do anything with her acting as a spy for General Shuo. They both joke and laugh but I am not sure she completely buys it.
Oh please let her be intelligent!
She is stunning.
She's the mother of the hateful He Ge?  Is he the cousin or the brother.  No wait...this guy's son is Muyun Lu, right? No, Muyun Lu is 2nd Prince. This guy's son is Muyun De.

Back at Tian Qi, the King calls Shuo for a private chat. He wants to send war horses in appreciation for the armour. Shuo protests that but the King explains that it is a test. If his brother accepts the gift, then he tasks him to seize the main passage to Wan prefecture. He also asks for personal help from the Muru in case his brother rebels as he knows he has been getting antsy.
Hmmm, Muru Shuo is always extremely submissive. I know that's his place in this hierarchy, but the Emperor, not for the first time, tells him to be just like a friend to him and to me, it seems like Shuo knows he has to be super careful here. He is the one with the military power. He is the one who fathered the son that will topple the Muyun rule. So naturally, he must think the Emperor does not trust him. And actually, all that friend-talk aside, I don't think he fully does. The drama makes a point in this episode to tell us that the Muro serve the Emperor - whoever that Emperor may be.
The additional layer there for me is that I think these men do like and respect each other.  They are trapped by their roles, though.

Han Jiang goes to Yong Yin hall where it is obvious he has struck a friendship with Liu Xu Man. She asks him if he will promise to come see her everyday and he says yes. He doesn’t change his mind even when she tells him to think about it carefully. She gives him the Heart Wrencher to drink to keep his promise and he doesn't hesitate. She knocks it out of his hand before he drinks it thankfully and asks why he would do something so foolish. He said he feels kinship with Sheng with both of them being abandoned by their parents. He said he even pities Sheng more than himself as he feels his situation is worse than his.
Damn! I was already seeing the boy in excruciating heart wrencher pain! What if he has to go to a foreign land or something? So foolish, yet so loyal and cute.
That was a really dumb promise but God love him for making it.  Han Jiang has such pure intentions.  He sees the world simply and acts accordingly.

Han Jiang’s words strikes a chord in Liu Xu Man and she tears up remembering her youth and past friendship with Consort Yin Rong. She prepares herself and says a very solemn farewell to her and heads for Sheng’s quarters.
Noooooooooo! TT______________TT (What was it that she dug up?)
I really liked her and I thought she'd play a bigger (longer) part. 

There, she meets Sheng, Han Jiang and Su Yu Ning (why was she there? Hanging with the boys now? I thought that was weird, too. It doesn't seem like she should have that kind of freedom, as a Lady in Waiting.) and finally tells them the story of what happened to his mother- Twelve years previously, there was political instability in the land as the King had expelled many officials from court because of Yin Rong. Former Crown Prince Muyun Luan (BURN!) then surrounded the palace with soldiers and claimed Yin Rong being a charmer cast a spell and made him stab the former Emperor. The Emperor was backed into a corner as his brother told him it was either the crown or her. He eventually pointed his sword at her and broken hearted she walked into it herself. Normally when attacked, Charmers had a basic attack mechanism, but she held hers back out of love for the Emperor. The ensuing bite back cost her most of her powers.
Sigh....Emperor. Was this really all you could do? You weak man.
And this is where I actively dislike the emperor for being useless.
And this is where I felt most sympathy for him.  You can see what it cost him to choose his country over his love.  It was not about him keeping his power - it was about keeping power from his brother, who his father clearly did not want to put in charge, and just as clearly, for good reason.

The effects of the Heart Wrencher pill have started to take effect in Lin Xiu Man but she gives Sheng a globe his mom had left for him. (Maybe that's what she dug up.) Han Jiang follows after her back to Yong Yin Hall and he guesses that she had taken the Heart Wrencher when she declined any treatment even though she wasn’t okay. She bows in farewell and closes the gates.
Bye.... :(

Comments

The two scenes Liu Xu Man had with Ying Rong especially the second one where she said her farewell were so incredibly moving. Although now departed, I really enjoyed her arc. Her smile at Han Jiang before she closed the gates to die was so incredibly beautiful. So, is the King bad? I am confused right now and I like that. It’s a pleasure to peel layers off. I do believe him when he said he is a better king than his brother would have been. And finally, I really need Su Yu Ning to sharpen up although I must admit I do enjoy Han Jiang’s swagger as her protector.

I think the Emperor is weak, not bad. He chose power over love ... and he'll have to suffer for it for the rest of his life. 
This kind of moral and ethical weakness makes a person bad.
I will agree that he has displayed weakness in other areas, but I disagree that this was a weak moment for him.  Remember that while he pointed the blade, SHE walked into it.  He may not have intended to kill her at all. And yes, I get that he did not choose her, his great love, but I disagree that he did it for himself.  If he did not care about his nation, he could have chosen her and run away.